A WISH UNDER THE MOONLIGHT

I walk to the balcony, where Deep is getting some fresh air after we had dinner. He has been unusually quiet since that private talk with his father. His parents left, and Paul and Mayleen will be joining us much later tonight, together with Paul's most trusted comrades in the police force, to further plot our move on Ejay tomorrow. Hopefully, this plan by Paul won't cost us another life. Lord Gracious, hear me!

"You've been quiet. What's up?" I ask, standing beside him under the orange bulb light on the ceiling of the balcony.

"Nothing. Just thinking." He says this, looking up at the sky.

To the beautiful shining stars well spread on the blue clouds and the full moon dominating the darkness of this night with its light. It's such a beautiful night, to be precise. One with a peaceful soul would enjoy it until dawn just looking at it. But I am not that soul. And I am sure neither Deep is.

"You want to share? I'm here." I say, and he throws me a glance that says, "Come on! Your cup of problems is overflowing". I know that, but still, I wouldn't mind listening to him.

On this beautiful night that oddly feels so scary, I want to talk to him. I want to hear his voice. I want to take the memories of tonight back with me to my cage tomorrow. And those memories can only be beautiful if I make them with him.

"Forgive me, but I don't want to add to your problems. You have too much on your plate already. But I want to let you know for the hundredth time that you are not alone, okay? We are all in this together." I nod my head.

I can't disclose to him that his mother already warned me. I understand her despair perfectly, because if I were in her shoes, I would be as cautious, especially if it's about my only child.

"I know. Can I ask you something, though?" I ask.

"Sure. Go ahead." He turns to me, leaning on the balcony, and I stand straight in front of him.

He looks more bright in the bright moonlight. "Sorry to bring this up, but... did you?" I'm tempted to stop midway because I feel like I'm intruding too much. Will he even answer me? He challenges me with a raised eyebrow, and I force the words to flow out of my mouth like some lyrics from one of my songs. "Did you have another girlfriend before Alia?" He is, for a moment, taken aback, forgetting how to even blink, turning into a complete statue.

I wave a hand slowly across his face, guilt and regret choking me for being the reason behind this sadness plastered on his face. Me and my stupid curiosity, or better yet, my big mouth. Remind me what my business is again, whether he had one or a hundred girlfriends? None, right? He looks away.

"You don't have to answer. I'm sorry." I say, feeling like a nosy bitch.

"It was some kind of fling, two years ago. We were friends with benefits, but of course, I couldn't tell that to my family. She was killed."

Oh, my God! That deep? I expected a breakup. Not, death! That is so saddening. And killed? That is, my goodness.

"Sorry, I didn't know it was that deep. I shouldn't have asked." I apologize deeply, from my heart, because I know how stories of demise hurt.

"It's fine. There is nothing wrong with you asking. I'm okay." That statement didn't rest well with my curious self, so curiosity got the better of me once again.

"How so, though? You said she was killed? Why and by whom?" I ask.

"On the day we decided to end our fling thing, we had a talk in my office, and she asked for just one thing as a goodbye gift. One night. I couldn't refuse her that, given what we had shared. She took my car to book a reservation, but a few kilometers away from my airport, the car exploded. She couldn't be saved."

My god! So, was she the target, or him?

"I'm sorry. But that could have been a normal accident, right? Maybe the engine overheated or something." I say.

"Not when I had made an enemy a few days prior who threatened to do something to make me shut up about his dirty businesses. That was my punishment for underestimating that rotten scumbag. I was the target, but an innocent person died instead. That is how rotten that jerk has always been. But it's time for him to pay." I can't tell him this, but I don't like the murderous look in his eyes. "You know him very well, Gia."

"Huh?" I ask in confusion. "Deep, I didn't know you until two weeks ago. So how can I possibly know your enemy from two years ago?" I question.

"We have a common enemy, Gia. EJAY HARRISON WELLS " Shoot me!

I'm thunderstruck. Wait, how possible is that? "Ejay? What are you talking about?"

"You heard it right. He had come to me with some stupid proposal to partner with him in his illegal business. He was desperately looking for a way to air drag in the country, but I sent him to hell with his deal. What a coincidence it was for my car to explode just a day after he threatened me! Upon investigation of the incident, a man was captured by the CCTV footage planting the bomb, but the only thing that we were able to find of the latter was his dead body. I was so mad. I wanted to get justice for Nina. So determined to make Ejay pay. So I asked Paul not to stop until he arrested Ejay. But in my rage to get justice, I caused the deaths of more people—Paul's coworkers were killed in a raid to arrest that devil. With Paul later confirming that there are government officials protecting him, I needed to take time to plan my revenge. But three days later, I received news that Ejay had left the country. And so, I have been waiting for him to return. Back then, I had promised to get him behind bars, but not anymore. I will kill him myself. That is what he deserves."

This is such a tangle! Who on this earth has this monster not hurt, huh? It seems like everyone is a victim.

"This is getting deeper than I could have imagined." I murmur.

"That's why I am asking you: please let me do this for you and me. I will hunt him down to the deepest hole he is hiding and bury him right there for good." That is what I can't allow, Deep. I have my own plans, and I won't reconsider anything. I won't risk another life. "Anyway, do you know Ejay is my cousin?" I changed the subject.

"What?" The shock, huh! I understand it, though. "You are related to that monster?"

"I wish I wasn't, but unfortunately, I am. He is the adopted son of my father’s brother. My father dropped the surname Wells when they ventured into drags, and God knows what else. He didn't want to be part of any of it. And that's the root cause of all that I am suffering for." I explain.

"Adopted?” Deep asks.

“Yes. My uncle and his wife could not have a child. So, when my father refused to be part of their dirty business, they decided to adopt an heir to their evil empire. Ejay goes by his real name, Matthew De’mario.” I explain.

“Wow. Quite a tangle we have here. Most probably, he was a criminal even before he was adopted by criminals. That monster has no limits. Nothing matters to him at all except him. I envy your father, though." Deep says.

"Yeah. Me too. But let's not talk about my monster of a cousin anymore. It's a beautiful night, and I don't want to cry." He walks behind me, wrapping his hands around my belly.

"I agree. It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" His sweet voice comes behind my ear.

"Yeah." I murmur a whisper, taking in his sweet, rich scent and feeling his hot breath caress my neck as he breathes.

"You want to make a wish?" I nod my head, even though I think the heavens are so mean and selective in granting wishes. But maybe just this once, maybe because this Greek god is with me, maybe heaven will grant me my wish for the first time?

"You want to hear it?" I ask.

"You want me to?" He whispers again. I nod my head, and he moves his hands to my shoulders, caressing them, leaving a very strong heat burning the insides of my abdomen where his hands were resting. I feel his wet lips on my neck, planting a soft kiss, and I hope he intended to do that just once because... "it will be my pleasure. Go ahead." My eyes had closed on their own, and I don't mind opening them.

As he stands straight, towering over me from behind, his hands dropping to my belly again, leaving traces of electric waves on their way, I look up to the sky, the brightness of the heavenly bodies kissing my face. I press my palms together with fingers pointing to the sky in a praying symbol. "This time, not to any of the heavenly bodies in the beautiful sky, but to the Most Highest being seated on the throne far beyond the sky. I pray that the next time we stand here again, everything will be over. Grant me the wish to avenge the innocent lives who have been lost because of me and get justice for my family. This time around, let evil not win. Amen." I finish, and I look back at Deep, our eyes meeting. "You want to make a wish too?" He turns me around, still keeping me in his arms.

"I would rather share your wish, if you allow me, that is." He probably knows how cheeky and funny that really sounds; that's why he is smiling. "

All the same, it is a nice, cheesy idea to share my wish with him. Maybe in the future, we will have more to share. “Alright."

"Thank you." He rests his forehead on mine, our faces caressing each other, and my hands rest on his chest. "Everything is going to be fine. I promise." The words came as a calming song to my heart, and I smiled at him.

However, I don't know how you explain the sensation of what he is percolating on me. The slow, soothing movement of his hands on my back has opened a fire that is burning my flesh and bones. The closure of our bodies, his beautiful eyes on mine, the way he is feeding me his hot breath, the brushing of our lips—I am starting to melt. Dangerously trembling. And am I trembling? "Deep?" I whisper between closed eyes, trembling lips, and a broken voice.

The only sound I can hear from him is his heavy breathing and his heart pounding on my right arm. At this point, I try to push him away, but his hold around me tightens, pressing me to him with one hand while the other moves to my neck, the contact of his flesh with mine setting my entire being ablaze. "De.." I couldn't finish his name because he sealed my lips with a kiss that blew my brains away, leaving my needy being burning with ardent desire.

As he sneaked his tongue into my small, unguarded territory, I couldn't resist. I let my desires and his charm win, and as our tongues dance to the rhythm of our burning desires, I close my mind to the world around us and savor this moment.

Sometimes, there doesn't seem to be the right time for anything. At such times, just grab any opportunity that presents itself and go with the flow, as long as you don't lose yourself in it. ~~ Bitchy me!